The future of a new marina on Birch Lake may have sunk.
At the May 6 meeting, the Babbitt city council unanimously voted to table the project and look at returning unspent grant monies.
Council member John Fitzpatrick asked that the proposed city marina project be discussed.
“In your package, you have a drawing of what they’re calling a marina. There are no amenities. Where they’re putting the marine is a little shallow, and for $2 million to $4 million, I think this is a little excessive,” said Fitzpatrick.
“I did feel that there was public support for one for this when I went around and knocked door to door on 500 doors or whatever I did,” said Lossing.
He said he spoke with the campground hosts, who told him a marina wouldn’t be used.
“He said they aren’t even comfortable parking their boats in a lighted area across from the main office right there, and he didn’t think that they would be interested in parking their boat at an unsecured dock,” said Lossing.
He was critical of the location, which would be on the west side of the beach.
“My biggest problem with this is I feel this would kill the ability to use our beach for water recreation sports. And when I say that I mean water skiing, kneeboarding, tubing, all the boating activities that have traditionally been done by families down there,” said Lossing.
“I wish we could have got the $200,000 and focused it towards the beach house, putting water and sewer back in the beach house, getting some, you know, kayak rentals and all the other things that will serve the community much better than I think this would,” said Lossing.
Lassi said most of the $200,000 has been spent so far and he thinks the entire cost could possibly be paid for with state grant monies.
Council members questioned relocating the pavilion, who would be watching boats parked there, and if there is even a demand for this marina.
“I wanted to get the council’s opinion on if we should move forward on this,” said Fitzpatrick. “It seems like a little bit for a lot of money.”
He asked for a cost but city engineer Jason Chopp said the city would need to go through the entire planning process before the price is known.
Zupancich asked if the city would face repercussions if the project didn’t proceed.
Lossing said he spoke with the LCCMR director about returning the remaining funds.
White said the project is an “astronomical amount of money for a dock system.”
He said, “Everybody that I have talked to, there’s like no support for a marina. It’s huge, huge, huge we don’t want nothing to do with that. That’s even if you get free money for it. And again, you’re killing half the beach area.”
Thecouncilunanimouslypassed a motion to table the marina project and determine the funding repercussions.
The council also accepted the donations from the Babbitt Snowmobile and ATV Club, along with the Prospector ATV Club, for materials for the new dock at the Babbitt Beach.
“That dock is just super nice,” said Lassi. “It is just one tremendous project, and I have nothing but praise for the guys that carried this through. It really adds to the beach, so nice going, guys, the street department and the clubs that helped contribute.”
Lossing said there should be recognition in the Babbitt Weekly thanking all of those involved in the dock project. The council agreed.
In other business the council:
• Accepted donations to the public library, including $500 from Sharon Ahern and $600 from United Way.
• Approved increases in cemetery fees.
• Heard from the city attorney on progress on an agreement for the deep winter greenhouse.
• Hired Ashton Schiele and Miah Rehm on the ambulance department.
• Hired Jordan Haburn and Colin Walker as summer/casual laborers for the Street Department.
• Hired Danny Daniel, Matthew Bock, and Leo McKrahl as summer laborers for the Recreation Department.
• Accepted the donation from the school of a bench at the beach in honor of Tanner Aho.
• Approved installing a handicapped door to City Hall at a cost of up to $4,000.
• Approved a temporary liquor license for the Hideaway Bar & Lounge.
